Car-coupling



(NoMor1e1.

C! GARLSON.

GARIGOUPLING. No. 553,207. Patented Jan. 14, 1896.

INVENTOR C. Car/son the lowered position.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES CARLSON, OF DEER TRAIL, COLORADO.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 553,207, dated January14, 1896. Application filed May 13, 1895. $eria1No. 549,209. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known thatI, CHARLES CARLsoN,a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Deer Trail, in the county of Arapahoe and State ofColorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCar-Couplers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic car-couplers; and itconsists of the features hereinafter described and claimed, all of whichwill be fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a horizontal longitudinal section takenthrough the drawhead. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of thesame. Fig.- 3 is a vertical crosssection taken through the draw-head 0nthe line 00 00, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar section taken on the line y3 Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section taken through the top of the draw-head,illustrating a modified form of construction.

Similar reference-characters indicating corresponding parts in theseviews, let the numeral 5 designate the draw-head, to one horn of whichis pivoted the coupling-j aw 6 by means of a pin 7. This jaw is providedwith a tongue 6, adapted to enter the recess 8 of the draw-head. Thedraw-head is provided with a vertical aperture 9 for the reception of apin 10, which is provided with a vertical groove or way 10.

hen the coupling-jaw 6 is in the coupled position, the tongue 6 engagesthe pin 10, which looks the jaw in place, the pin being in (See Fig. 3.)The raising of the pin'may be accomplished through the medium of anysuitable instrumentality which maybe operated without going between thecars. The pin is supported in the raised position by a movable hanger12, which automatically assumes the pin-supportin g position (see Fig.2) as soon as the pin is raised sufliciently to allow the hanger toswing into place beneath. The pin-supporting device 12 is provided witha projection 12, which lies in the path of the tongue 6 of the jaw whenthe pin is raised. Hence, as the coupling-jaw moves to the coupledposition, it engages the depending projection 12 of the hanger andcarries the latter to the position shown in Fig. 3, allowing the pin todrop in front of the tongue 6, whereby the jaw is locked in place. Thepin-supporting device may be of any suitable construction whereby it isadapted to accomplish the function stated. As shown in the drawings, itconsists of a pivoted stirrup 12, having the depending part 12,projectin g downward therefrom when the device is in the pin-supportingposition or that which it will normally assume if unobstructed.

The upper part of the draw-head is provided with recesses 5*, adapted toreceive the stirrup-arms, which are supported therein by the pivot-pins13, which engage lugs located on each side of each recess 5. One ofthese pins 13 projects into the grooved way 10 of the pin and preventsthe pin from being entirely withdrawn from the draw-head, since thegroove does not extend the whole length of the pin, thus forming a stop10.

From the foregoing description it is believed that the operation of thedevice will be readily understood. Assuming that the coupling-jaw G isin the uncoupled position, the tongue 0 will be engaged by thecorresponding jaw attached to the draw-head of the approaching car andforced inward to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1. Thismovement of the coupling-jaw brings the tongue 6 to engagement with thedepending projection 12 of the pin-supporting device and carries thelatter to the position shown in Fig. 3, allowing the pin to drop asbefore stated.

The dotted lines in Fig. 1 indicate the position of the coupling-jawwhen about halfway between the coupled and fully uncoupled positions.

Instead of the construction of hanger shown in Fig. 2 a half-stirrup, towhich the depending projection 12 is attached, may be employed. (SeeFig. 5.) It is evident this lastnamed construction would be equallyoperative.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is trude, said pinsforming the support for the device, one of them being adapted to enterthe grooved way of the locking pin whereby 15 the latter is held againstcomplete withdrawal, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES CARISON. Vitnesses:

J. A. McCRAcKEN, W. G. LEAK.

